Because of the war in Ukraine, the mission was on the brink. But on Wednesday, the United States and Russia went into space together for the first time since the Russian army invaded the neighboring country. Aboard a Soyuz space capsule, cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio took off at 3:55 PM CEST from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in the steppes of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
The Russian space agency Roskosmos showed the launch to the International Space Station in a live broadcast. NASA spoke of a “good start in the sunset”. Local time in Baikonur, where an American delegation also followed the mission, was 6:55 PM. “The crew is fine,” said a NASA commentator. All stages of the launcher ignited smoothly, it said. The solar sails on the Soyuz capsule are said to have unfolded “perfectly” for the onward flight to the ISS. The flight to the outpost of humanity at an altitude of 400 kilometers should take about three hours.
The crew also carries 120 kilograms of supplies for the ISS, including hygiene and medical supplies, scientific equipment and personal belongings of the cosmonauts. Rubio, 46, said he would look out for the view of Earth from there before starting in Baikonur. He was enthusiastic about the “darkness and what the stars look like from there”.
Crowds on the ISS
Rubio had previously said that space travel is a way of working together, even in times of political tension. The crew did not talk about the war beforehand, but mainly about personal matters and the daily life of astronauts. Everyone made it clear that they would miss their family the most during the six months on the ISS. But the three astronauts will not be alone on the ISS: the commander of the 67th expedition, Oleg Artemyev, the cosmonauts Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov, as well as the NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins and the Italian Samantha are already on board. on board Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Russia’s war against Ukraine is putting additional strain on already troubled relations between Moscow and Washington. Russia complains that the sanctions imposed by the US and the EU in the aftermath of the war are complicating space work, including the production of missiles that can also be used militarily. Sometimes the collaboration was on the brink.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
